Minor Professional Hockey Leagues

exploring the past hockey leagues of north america

Minor professional hockey leagues are the backbone of
the NHL. These leagues over the years have served as
training grounds for the NHL teams. Entertaining hockey
in their own right and offering non NHL players a chance
to earn a living.

Sub Menu

Western Hockey League (1952-1974)

The Western Hockey League (1952-1974), a minor pro league, was formed from the Pacific
Coast Hockey League. The
Pacific Coast Hockey League amalgamated with the Westen Canada Senior
Hockey League to form this league. During the 1965-66 & 1967-68 seasons the WHL played an interlocking schedule with the American Hockey
League. For the 1972/73 regular season, the WHL played an interlocking
schedule with the Central Hockey League. Each team in each league
played a four
game home and home series with each team of the other league.

Western Hockey League (1952-1974) Champion

Lester
Patrick Cup

The playoff championship trophy was origionally called the President's Cup. In
1960, on the death of Lester Patrick, the name was changed to the Lester
Patrick Cup. The Cup was originally awarded in 1944-45 for the champion of the Pacific Coast
Hockey League.

Between 1953 and 1956 the Edinburgh Trophy was presented o the winner of a Challenge
Series between the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Hockey League.

Seattle beat Phoenix, 3-1, in a one game playoff to make it to the
Lester
Cup Playoffs.

1971 Season

GP

W

L

T

Pts

GF

GA

Portland Buckaroos

72

48

17

7

103

306

210

Phoenix Roadrunners

72

36

27

9

81

271

234

San Diego Gulls

72

33

27

12

78

248

223

Denver Spurs

72

25

31

16

66

242

253

Seattle Totems

72

27

36

9

63

223

260

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

72

18

49

5

41

217

327

1972 Season

GP

W

L

T

Pts

GF

GA

Denver Spurs

72

44

20

8

96

293

209

Phoenix Roadrunners

72

40

27

5

85

283

235

Portland Buckaroos

72

38

31

3

79

301

271

San Diego Gulls

72

32

31

9

73

241

243

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

72

29

33

10

68

250

254

Seattle Totems

72

12

53

7

31

175

331

1973 Season

GP

W

L

T

Pts

GF

GA

Phoenix Roadrunners

72

37

26

9

83

310

250

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

72

32

25

15

79

288

259

San Diego Gulls

72

32

29

11

75

239

223

Denver Spurs

72

27

32

13

67

264

275

Seattle Totems

72

26

32

14

66

270

286

Portland Buckaroos

72

21

39

12

54

226

287

1974 Season

GP

W

L

T

Pts

GF

GA

Phoenix Roadrunners

78

43

32

3

89

300

273

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

78

41

33

4

86

356

297

San Diego Gulls

78

40

33

5

85

278

281

Portland Buckaroos

78

39

33

6

84

292

258

Seattle Totems

78

32

42

4

68

288

319

Denver Spurs

78

28

50

0

56

249

335

Western Hockey League (1952-1974) Leaders

Western Hockey League (1952-1974) Most Valuable Player

Year

Player

Team

1952-53

Emile Francis

Vancouver Canucks

1953-54

Lorne Worsley

Vancouver Canucks

1954-55

Max McNab

New Westminster Royals

1955-56

Phil Maloney

Vancouver Canucks

1956-57

Lucien Dechene- Prairie Division

Brandon Regals

Guyle Fielder-Coast Division

Seattle Americans

1957-58

Sid Finney-Prairie Division

Calgary Stampeders

Guyle Fielder-Coast Division

Seattle Totems

1958-59

Eddie Dorohoy-Prairie Division

Calgary Stampeders

GuyIe Fielder-Coast Division

Seattle Totems

1959-60

Hank Bassen

Vancouver Canucks

1960-61

Lou Jankowski

Calgary Stampedes

1961-62

Bill Macfarland

Seattle Totems

1962-63

Phil Maloney

Vancouver Canucks

1943-64

Guyle Fielder

Seattle Totems

1964-65

Billy McNeill

Vancouver Canucks

1965-66

Billy McNeill

Vancouver Canucks

1966-67

GuyIe Fielder

Seattle Totems

1967-68

Art Jones

Portland Buckaroos

1968-69

John Hanna

Seattle Totems

1969-70

Andy Bathgate

Vancouver Canucks

1970-71

Art Jones

Portland Buckaroos

1971-72

Fran Huck

Denver Spurs

1972-73

Ken Broderick

San Diego Gulls

1973-74

Lyle Bradley

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

Western Hockey League (1952-1974) Rookie Player

Year

Player

Team

1952-53

Gerry Foley

Seattles Bombers

1953-54

Don Poile

Edmonton Flyers

1954-55

John Bucyk

Edmonton Flyers

1955-56

Barry Cullen

Winnipeg Warriors

1956-57

Dennis Riggin-Prairie Division

Edmonton Flyers

Denny Olson-Coast Division

New Westminster Royals

1957-58

Art Stratton-Prairie Division

Winnipeg Warriors

Orland Kurtenbach-Coast Division

Vancouver Canucks

1958-59

Roy Edwards-Prairie Division

Calgary Stampeders

Bruce Gamble-Coast Division

Vancouver Canucks

1959-60

Norm Waslowski

Winnipeg Warriors

1960-61

Don Head

Portland Buckaroos

1961-62

Jim Baird

Vancouver Canucks

1962-63

GillesVillemure

Vancouvor Canucks

1963-64

Dave Kelly

Portland Buckaroos

1964-65

George Swarbrick

San Francisco Seals

1965-66

Bill Orban

LosAngeles Blades

1966-67

Ron Boehm

Vancouver Canucks

1967-68

Walt McKechnie

Phoenix Roadrunners

1998-69

Jack Michie

Seattle Totems

1969-70

Brad Selwood

Vancouver Canucks

1970-71

Jack Rathwell

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

1971-72

Bobby Whitlock

Phoenix Roadrunners

1972-73

Ron Huston

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

1973-74

Larry Patey

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

Western Hockey League (1952-1974) Gentlemanly
Player

Year

Player

Team

1960-61

Gordon Fashoway

Portland Buckaroos

196l-62

Phil Maloney

Vancouver Canucks

1962-63

Phil Maloney

Vancouver Canucks

1963-64

Lou Jankowski

Denver lnvaders

1964-65

Andy Hebenton

Portland Buckaroos

1965-66

Guyle Fielder

Seattle Totems

1966-67

Guyle Fielder

Seattle Totems

1967-68

Phil Maloney

Vancouver Canucks

1968-69

Guyle FieIder

Seattte Totems

1969-70

Andy Hebenton

Portland Buckaroos

1970-71

Andy Hebenton

Portland Buckaroos

1971-72

Andy Hebenton

Portland Buckaroos

1972-73

Andy Hebenton

Portland Buckaroos

1973-74

Andy Hebenton

Portland Buckaroos

Western Hockey League (1952-1974) Outstanding Defenseman

Year

Player

Team

1964-65

Pat Stapleton

Portland Buckaroos

1965-66

Con Madigon

Portland Buckaroos

1966-67

Larry Cahan

Vancouver Canucks

1967-68

Alex "Sandy" Hucul

Phoenix Roadrunners

1968-69

John Hanna

Seattle Totems

1969-70

Marc Reaume

Vancouver Canucks

1970-71

John Hanna

Seattle Totems

1971-72

Alex "Sandy" Hucul

Phoenix Roadrunners

1972-73

Dave Dunn

Seattle Totems

1973-74

John Barber

Phoenix Roadrunners

Western Hockey League (1952-1974) Leading Scorer

Year

Player

Team

Points

1952-53

Earl Reibel

Edmonton

90

1953-54

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

88

1954-55

Bronco Horvath

Edmonton

110

1955-56

Phil Maloney

Vancouver

95

1956-57

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

122

1957-58

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

111

1958-59

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

119

1959-60

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

95

1960-61

Art Jones

Portland

100

1961-62

Gene Mekilok

Spokane

97

1962-63

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

97

1963-64

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

102

1964-65

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

92

1965-66

Cliff Schmautz

Portland

104

1966-67

Guyle Fielder

Seattle

91

1967-68

Art Jones

Portland

87

1968-69

Art Jones

Portland

114

1969-70

Art Jones

Portland

127

1970-71

Art Jones

Portland

114

1971-72

Art Jones

Portland

124

1972-73

Bob Walton

Seattle

101

1973-74

Lyle Bradley

Salt Lake

115

Western Hockey League (1952-1974) Goalkeeper

Year

Goalkeeper

Team

Goals

Average

1952-53

Emile Francis

Vancouver

216

3.08

1953-54

Lorne Worsley

Vancouver

168

2.40

1954-55

Johnny Bower

Vancouver

63

1.71

1955-56

Ray Mikulan

Vancouver

181

2.54

1956-57

Lucien Dechene

Brandon

175

2.65

1957-58

Marcel Pelletier

Vancouver

173

2.43

1958-59

Lucien Dechene

Saskatoon

170

3.03

1959-60

Hank Bassen

Vancouver

172

2.48

1960-61

Don Head

Portland

192

2.74

1961-62

Al Millar

Seattle

182

3.14

1962-63

Don Head

Portland

177

2.53

1963-64

Al Millar

Denver

198

2.83

1964-65

Jim McLeod

Seattle

181

2.78

1965-66

Don Head

Portland

100

2.84

1966-67

Jim McLeod

Seattle

101

2.44

1967-68

Marv Edwards

Portland

93

2.44

1968-69

Jim McLeod

Portland

90

2.39

Dave Kelly

Portland

103

3.10

1969-70

George Gardner

Vancouver

171

2.88

1970-71

Jim McLeod

Portland

122

2.70

Dave Kelly

Portland

87

3.25

197l-72

Bob Johnson

Denver

96

2.83

1972-73

Ken Broderick

San Diego

146

2.94

1973-74

Rick Charron

Portland

123

2.63

Presented to Goaltender or Goaltenders who play with team with fewest goals scored
against during regular season. To be eligible, player must participate
in 25 complete games or a minimum of 100 minutes